Musings Music Competition
by vixxelle1
Summary: When Sango's pop trio is invited to spend the summer competing in the most prestigious music competition in the country, she knows it will be life-changing, but she has no idea how much. Things get complicated when she sleeps with the lead singer of a competing band, but will that affect her group's chance of winning? Rated M for alcohol, sex, and language.
1. Chapter 1- Selection

A/N: Hello everyone! This is my first ever fanfiction, and I'm pretty excited about it. I've been building the story in my head for quite some time, but I've never really found the time to write it. Because it deals with music groups, I'll be adding suggested listenings at the bottom of each chapter, so that you all sort of get a vibe for the musical styles floating around. The story is heavily influenced by the songs I suggest, so I do recommend listening to them!

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or any of its characters.

* * *

Chapter 1- Selection

Musings Music Competition. The world-famous music academy and competition rolled into one two-month summer program. Every summer, thirty artists from all over the country were invited to the host city for a life-changing opportunity, and the grand prize winner was rewarded with an all-inclusive record deal. The first-place winners were given management, recording contracts, distribution deals, and top-notch publicity. Most winners went on to become A-list acts, so being chosen to compete at all was truly extraordinary.

Musings was well-known for vastly improving participating artists' sound and marketability, and so, producers and record companies were practically lining up to sponsor the event. Chosen artists paid nothing to attend, and the pay-off was incredible even if they didn't win. The runners-up received automatic invitations to compete the following year, and they often went on to win in subsequent years. The exposure and experience alone was usually enough to draw in highly talented groups. C-list celebrities frequently competed, and during the academy weeks, artists were coached by the music industry's finest recording artists.

Sango read over the invitation again as she sat on a stool at the local bar and waited for her shift to start. The whole thing felt quite daunting to her, and she still wasn't sure how her group had been selected out of the thousands who auditioned. Sure, the three of them had astounding voices and their music was quite popular when they played at venues around the city, but it was hard to imagine they'd ever really make it big.

Her group, Wonder, was formed by herself and two of her coworkers around two years ago. At the time, they'd decided to perform together to enter a competition with a $200 prize. Each of them had needed a bit extra that month to make ends meet since the bar was slower in winter months. Cost of living in New York was quite high, and the competition was sort of a last resort for the trio. They really hadn't expected to win. Since then, the three of them had begun regularly performing together as a way to make some money on the side. Regularly, however, Ayame worked as a bartender at Jewelhouse Bar, and Sango and Kagome worked there as servers.

They all loved singing and performing together, but Sango doubted their ability to really make it as musicians. They lacked a cohesive sound, and that hurt their marketability. Over the years, the group had developed two different styles in order to meet the needs of more venues, thus bringing in more money from gigs. One was sexy, sensual, and, at times, bubbly. It was honed to be performed at night clubs and local hot spots. The other was edgy and intense, used primarily at hole in the wall bars and popular underground venues. The styles were incompatible, and neither was particularly unique.

Sango sighed heavily. "Are you sure we should do this?" She asked Kagome without taking her eyes off the invitation email on her phone.

"Of course! This is a once in a lifetime opportunity!" Kagome plopped onto the stool next to Sango. "Are you having second thoughts?"

"Well, sort of. I know we've done pretty well around the city, but this is big. We'll have to move to Chicago for the summer. We'll have to leave the bar and the apartment. If we don't win, we'll come home to nothing. It's a huge gamble."

"Sometimes, risks pay off Sango." Ayame appeared behind the bar, three shot glasses in hand. "We didn't get selected for nothing. They must have seen potential in us."

"Maybe Musings will help us to finally merge our sounds. If we can do that, we'd be unstoppable." Kagome chimed in, eyeing the rum in Ayame's hand.

Ayame filled the shot glasses and distributed the shots among her friends. "Maybe this'll help us to finally get some stability. I would kill to know I wasn't going to starve trying to make rent in this damn city."

Sango listened pensively, her dark brown eyes burning into her phone screen. "What the hell. It's not like we have much to lose anyway." Her friends' eyes lit up.

"That's the spirit Sango!" Ayame cheered as she raised her shot glass. "To Wonder!"

"To Wonder!" Sango and Kagome smiled back. The glasses touched, and the girls delighted in the burning sensation as the liquid slid down their throats, enabling them to get through the busy late-night crowd heading their way. As they tied on their serving aprons, Sango mused about how her life was finally going to change. The encouraging thought mixed with the liquor in her belly kept her buzzed and cheerful through the night.

* * *

Miroku winced at the sunlight flowing through the curtains and rolled over in an attempt to flee from the morning light. His head was throbbing with the after effects of last night's drinks, and he planned on sleeping the day away to avoid dealing with his horrid hangover. His band, Midnight Vandals, played a fantastic show last night at a beachfront club and celebrated in their usual fashion- excess alcohol and women. His portion of the latter was still snoozing in his bed. Miroku smiled as he snuggled up next to her. He usually didn't like waking up next to his conquests, but with his hangover pulsing in his brain, he didn't mind that morning.

Just as he was drifting back to sleep, his cell phone rang. Miroku groaned as he rolled over to silence the damn thing, but the caller ID caught his attention. "Hey Inuyasha," He grumbled as he answered the call.

"Are you still in bed? It's almost one you lazy bum!"

"Hey! I had a long night." Miroku defended, glancing satisfactorily at the sleeping woman in his bed.

"Don't tell me you took that brat home again!" Inuyasha spat.

"Now, that's not nice Inuyasha." Miroku countered

"Feh. Like you care what I call your bitches." Inuyasha rolled his eyes, and Miroku grinned on the other end of the phone. He was right, Miroku didn't care very much about the woman sleeping next to him. "Anyway, we got our Musings invitation today. Get your ass down to the pier."

Miroku hung up and put his hand to his face, trying in vain to force his hangover out of his brain. He looked toward the naked woman to his left. A sly smirk moved over his face. If he had to wake up, he may as well reward himself for the effort. "Shima. Shima, wake up," He coaxed as he nibbled on her ear.

"Mmm, Miroku," she whined, blushing as he rubbed on her from behind. She turned to face him, and immediately the pair began making out. Twenty minutes later, after some pleasing morning sex, Miroku was tossing Shima's clothes at her. "Get dressed, I have to meet the guys about some business stuff."

"But Miroku, I don't have to go. I can wait here, and then you'll have a nice treat when you get home," Shima purred at him from the bed. Miroku fought a scowl. He did not like the idea of leaving Shima alone in his condo.

"No, you'd better go. I don't know when I'll be back. I'll text you later, alright?" Miroku demanded.

"Fine," Shima pouted back, dressing quickly. She gave him a quick kiss as she gathered her things to leave. "I'll talk to you later then."

Miroku sighed after she left. He wasn't particularly fond of Shima, but at least she was constant. Usually he didn't keep women around as long as she had managed to stick around. That was mostly a result of her persistence more than anything else, though. He had no intention of having any kind of real relationship with her. She was sweet enough, but there wasn't anything particularly special about her. The most enticing quality she had, aside from her lovely hourglass figure, was probably her idolization of him and his band. It is nice to be treated like a celebrity, even if your groupies are airheads.

Miroku thought over this as he made his way to the pier. He sighed heavily. Maybe he should just settle for Shima. She seemed interested enough, and he sincerely doubted he'd find a woman that would genuinely hold his attention. The thought made him scowl. The idea of staying with Shima forever, and really committing to her was repulsive to him. This competition couldn't have come at a better time really. He could stand a change of scenery and some time away from his clingy groupie.

He parked his car and sauntered up to the pier to find his bandmates snacking on sandwiches at a picnic table. "Hey guys." He greeted as he grabbed a sandwich from the plate in the middle.

"Took you long enough." Koga complained. "We were beginning to think you drove your car into the ocean."

"No, no, nothing like that. Shima wouldn't leave," Miroku explained.

"That figures. I don't know why you put up with her." Inuyasha snorted.

"Sometimes, I don't know either." Miroku smiled half-heartedly as his thoughts drifted back to his car ride. "So, we got selected huh?"

Koga laughed. "Of course we did! Have you seen our YouTube views lately? They'd be crazy not to pick us. They're guaranteed higher ticket sales if we play!"

Miroku smiled. He was right, of course. Midnight Vandals were seriously popular in southern California, and their YouTube channel had regular viewership from across the US. They were so well-known that between the YouTube payouts and steady gigs, none of them had to work. They could easily be called C-listers, and they were a favorite to win Musings this year.

"Where is it this year anyway?" Miroku glanced at Inuyasha.

"Chicago. We have to be there in two weeks." Inuyasha answered between chews.

"Well then, what are we waiting for? Let's get packing." Miroku said as he donned a dazzling smile. He loved southern Cali, but he could not wait to see what was waiting for them in Chicago.

* * *

A/N: Thank you for reading! Please let me know what you all think! I've started writing the next chapter already and hope to have it posted in the next few days.

Suggested songs- This chapter's songs aren't directly tied to the plot, but they give a good feel for what the groups sound like (at least how they sound in my head). The styles and sounds of both bands will evolve as the competition moves forward, but these give a good vibe for where they're at now and what sort of music they're producing and performing. The music for Midnight Vandals was inspired by the Shima/Miroku relationship.

(Wonder) Company- Tinashe

(Wonder) All Hands on Deck REMIX- Tinashe and Iggy Azelea

(Wonder) Problem- Natalia Kills

(Wonder) Mirrors- Natalia Kills

(Midnight Vandals) Annabelle- A Rocket to the Moon

(Midnight Vandals) Not Your Friend- Kick the Robot


	2. Chapter 2- Leaving

A/N: Hi again everyone! I hope you enjoyed the first chapter. In an effort to get to the interesting sections of the story as fast as possible, I went ahead and finished Chapter 2. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha or any of its characters.

* * *

Chapter 2- Leaving

"I can't believe we're really doing this," Sango thought as she packed her suitcase. She looked around her room. They were due in Chicago next week, so everything was boxed up and ready for storage. She considered what a huge risk this was, but she had to admit, she was pretty excited. Wonder had rehearsed earlier that afternoon for their farewell show at the bar tomorrow night, and Sango was beginning to think they might have a real shot. Maybe not a big one, but a shot nonetheless.

Her phone rang from across the room, interrupting her thoughts. She sighed disappointedly at the caller ID before answering. "Hey Kuranosuke, what's up?"

"Hey darling, I just flew in from Charlotte, want to meet up?" He chirped from the other end of the phone. It was just like him to show up without warning.

"I guess," she sighed internally. She really didn't want to deal with him today, especially since her mood had just started improving. "Jewelhouse in an hour?" she relented.

"Sounds good, I'll see you in a bit sweetheart."

* * *

Sango sat at the bar sipping a lemon drop martini while she waited on Kuranosuke. "Where's your man?" Ayame questioned from across the bar, eyebrow cocked.

Sango wrinkled her nose. Calling Kuranosuke "her man" was a bit much. They'd been seeing each other for a few months, but with his busy tour schedule and her hectic work schedule, they very rarely saw each other in person. That was fine by her. Truth be told, she found him rather dull and entitled. His company bored her, and she was often shocked by his lack of understanding regarding her financial situation.

Not only was Kuranosuke a star now, but he came from a wealthy family. Before pursuing music, the man had never worked a day in his life. He never seemed to understand that she simply couldn't call out of work to visit with him when he was in town, and he often became frustrated when she refused his offers to pay her bills for her.

Sango, however, did not want to be dependent on anyone- especially him. Financial support was definitely a step too far in a relationship she never particularly wanted in the first place. Kuranosuke had first spotted Sango around six months ago performing with Wonder at a nightclub, and he immediately became infatuated with her. But even after all this time, he didn't love her. Not really. He loved a fantasy version of her, some bubbly, sensual popstar personality he'd associated with her in his head. He made no effort to get to know the real Sango, and she resented him for that.

She resented Kuranosuke for many reasons, not the least of which was that he never actually asked her if she'd like to date him. No, he assumed an underappreciated popstar such as herself would have swooned at the chance to date a real celebrity, so he simply had his manager announce to tabloids that he was seeing a New York singer. Suddenly, she was dodging paparazzi and jealous fans when she was just trying to go about her life. His manager paid her off in secret to go along with the announcement and pretend to date him. He had a reputation to protect after all, and Kuranosuke did not need a major heartache right before his big tour.

Sango begrudgingly took the money. She and the girls certainly needed it, and it didn't require a whole lot of effort on her part to pretend to date him whenever he was around New York. It's not like she had much of a love life outside of him anyway, and at least this way she got some semblance of a relationship. Even if it was just a hollow façade. At least the sex was okay- certainly better than she'd have otherwise.

Of course, Wonder had gotten some major publicity from the arrangement, too. The tabloids would mention the group in passing from time to time, and their ticket sales would improve from the press. It was also his idea for them to audition for Musings, and he coached them through the auditions. Without his help selecting audition songs, Wonder wouldn't have had a shot at Musings, and Sango felt guilty about getting so much help from a relationship she sort of wanted to end.

She pondered over this as she took another sip of her lemon drop, trying to lose her guilt in the burning of the vodka. Kagome and Ayame didn't know about Sango's arrangement with Kuranosuke's manager. As far as they were concerned, Sango was content in her relationship with a wealthy Rockstar. They had concerns from time to time that she wasn't satisfied with him, but Sango always made some excuse about a fight or the distance just getting to her. She didn't want them to think less of her for trading her feminine sensibilities for money and publicity. Sometimes, she didn't know herself why she'd agreed to the deal. She really did want a real relationship, but the financial stability the Kuranosuke deal offered her was intoxicating.

Ayame wandered over to Sango with a fresh martini and flicked her fiery, red ponytail. "What's wrong sweetie? You look miserable."

Sango sighed. Ayame was right, this relationship was putting quite a strain on her emotionally, but she lied. "I'm alright. It's just been a while since I've seen Kuranosuke, and I haven't told him we got picked."

Ayame eyed her suspiciously. "And that isn't an exciting conversation because….?"

Sango didn't have time to answer before Kuranosuke sidled up next to her, kissing her cheek as he took his spot next to her at the bar. Sango flinched a bit at the kiss but tried to mask her reaction. She was still being pierced by Ayame's wolfish gaze.

"Hey Ayame! The usual please," Kuranosuke ordered from his seat, not noticing Sango's inner turmoil nor the suspicious look Ayame was giving her. Ayame turned toward Kuranosuke and plastered on her signature bartender smile. "Sure thing, sweetie. Be right back." With that, she wandered away to prepare his drink.

Sango turned toward Kuranosuke with a similar fake smile painted on her lips. "Hey! How was Charlotte?"

"Well, there was a rather large turnout. We had some technical difficulties, but I don't think the fans noticed." He winked at her, fully aware of his popularity as a heartthrob to teen fans. Ayame returned with his drink, and Sango rolled her eyes once his attention turned to his Hemingway. Ayame gave her a conspiratorial glance.

"We actually have some big news. We got an invitation to play Musings this year." Sango watched his face, her expression giving nothing away.

"Oh yeah? That's great! You'll have the best time!" He broke into a wide smile and laughed a bit. "Once you get back to New York, you girls will sound amazing. Maybe you can finally leave this bar."

Sango arched her eyebrows in an offended expression, and Ayame eyed him curiously. "What exactly do you mean by, 'once we get back?' You don't think we'll win?" Sango questioned with anger evident in her tone.

"Sango, sweetheart. Wonder is amazing, don't get me wrong, but you girls don't exactly have a following. Most winners already have fans when they're selected." Ayame's mouth fell open, but Sango just sighed annoyedly. It figures he would say that. Kuranosuke never really believed in their group, he just viewed them as a little side project. He could advise them in his free time and have his little pop princess doll to tote around the city. She was so sick of his superior attitude, but she couldn't exactly let on to that. Her agreement with his manager dictated that she not break up with him until after his tour ended this fall.

She tried her best to calm the venom in her veins. It was one thing for her to have doubts about their group, but wasn't a boyfriend supposed to be supportive? "Well, there's always a favorite that no one knew before, sometimes they win. That could be us," She added.

He knitted his eyebrows. "I suppose, but honey, you have to consider who you're up against. The year I won, I'd worked 24/7 on my music for months before the competition. You girls work at this silly bar so much, you hardly get to rehearse."

That struck a nerve. Sango's eyes flashed dangerously, and Ayame fumed from behind the bar. "Well excuse us for having to work for a living!" Ayame spat before storming off.

Kuranosuke looked genuinely confused, and Sango tried unsuccessfully to mask her fury. "What did I say?"

Sango massaged her temples, trying to reign in her irritation with his entitlement. She took a deep breath before speaking again. "Nothing sweetie. Look, I have to finish packing. We're leaving this weekend," she said as she finished her martini and got up to leave. She just needed to get out of there before she wrung his neck.

"Well call me when you're done. We can go to dinner." He leaned over to kiss her, and she reluctantly allowed it. It figures he wouldn't offer to help her. He couldn't be bothered to perform manual labor. She took deep, slow breaths as she left the bar, trying to calm herself. "It's just for a few more months," she reminded herself, waiting on the day she could finally leave him. This competition actually came at a great time. She could use a few weeks away from her 'boyfriend.'

* * *

"Miroku, I'm going to miss you so much!" Shima whined from her spot at the end of his bed.

Miroku sighed, without looking up from his packing. "Shima, we've been over this. It's just for a couple of months, and it's a huge opportunity. We can't turn it down just because you want me to stay here." He was getting right tired of her pouting. Of course, she had every reason to be concerned that he was leaving for the summer. They weren't exactly exclusive, and he wasn't interested in becoming official before heading to Chicago. Quite the opposite, in fact. He was looking forward to getting rid of her by escaping to the music competition.

"Maybe I could come with you!" She chimed in excitedly.

"No!" He shouted, started. He winced- that had come out too aggressively. He tried to walk it back, hoping she wouldn't notice. "No, Shima. We'll be busy with rehearsals, coaching, and writing sessions. I won't be able to spend any time with you, and you're not exactly allowed to stay in the hotel with us."

"You could sneak me in. Then I'll be waiting in bed for you every night," she purred seductively. The thought of having Shima with him every night frightened his brain, but his body reacted quite differently to her seductive tone. He glanced at her mischievously, and a handsome smirk spread over his face. "Is that so?" He countered. His voice deepened as he walked toward the bed. "Well why wait when we could have some fun right now?"

He leaned her backwards, kissing her neck. She smirked dangerously at him and pulled him on top of her. An hour later, Miroku was getting up to finish packing when Shima grabbed his arm. "Don't go yet Roku!"

Miroku tried to suppress an annoyed expression. Why was she so needy all the time? "Honey, I have to finish packing. Our plane leaves tomorrow afternoon." He escaped her grasp and rolled out of bed. She huffed and tightened her lips into a firm pout. "Well then, maybe I should just go."

"Maybe." Miroku responded under his breath. He certainly didn't want her there all night. He glanced up and noticed Shima looked crestfallen. He sighed. "Look, it's not that I don't want you with me," he lied, "but I need a good night's sleep. It'll be my last for a while. Musings is the real deal, and I'll be working non-stop." He smirked again, "and you know how hard it is for me to get proper rest with you around."

She giggled, "Fine. But call me from the airport!" She dressed and gathered her things. "I'll get tickets to one of the showcases next month, I can see you then!" She kissed him deeply before heading to the door.

"Sure thing," he mumbled absentmindedly. He didn't particularly want her to come, even for a showcase, but it wasn't in his nature to turn down a willing woman. The door shut behind her, and he flopped down on his bed. He could not wait to get to the airport in the morning. Midnight Vandals had competed at Musings before, but that was hosted in Kansas City. Chicago sounded much more interesting to him, and he dozed off dreaming of the adventures waiting for him in Chicago.

The next morning Midnight Vandals waked into the airport with instruments in hand. Much to their amusement, they were hounded by some fans on their way to the gate. Miroku was so caught up in the excitement, he didn't give any thought to Shima. They boarded the plane, and just as it was taking off, he realized he'd forgotten to call her. He grinned as he watched the ground get further and further away. "Oh well," he muttered as they turned toward Chicago.

* * *

A/N: I'll be honest. I didn't want to write a Shima/Miroku sex scene. I want to be clear what their relationship is like, but I definitely didn't want to write details about their sex life. When the time comes, I won't be so hesitant to write about Sango/Miroku scenes though, I promise.

Also, I'm so sorry they haven't actually met yet, but it's important that you know their background with their SO's for later plot shenanigans. I'll have Chapter 3 up in the next few days! Until then, please review!

Suggested listening: These are songs that inspired the chapter, but the second one is one that I actually intend to use in the story later.

Going Nowhere- Little Mix

Love is Madness- Thirty Seconds to Mars ft. Halsey (this one will come back later as a collab piece)


	3. Chapter 3- Arrival

A/N: I'm so sorry this took so long to post! I've actually had it done for a week, but I'm traveling for the summer and was not able to post it until now. I hope you enjoy it!

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or any of its characters.

* * *

Ch 3- Arrival

At around 4 pm, Kagome and Ayame crowded around Sango's window seat, and the group watched eagerly as the plane descended into O'Hare International.

"I can't believe we're actually here!" Kagome squealed, and Sango grinned at her friend's enthusiasm. Sango couldn't believe it either, but for a myriad of other reasons. Kagome and Ayame had much more confidence in Wonder than Sango did, but that was mostly because of Sango's personal hesitancy toward high aspirations.

She saw herself as a realist, emotionally hardened by her seemingly endless bad luck. When she was still a teenager, a car accident took the lives of her parents and brother. Since then, she's been scrambling to make ends meet in dead end serving jobs. After their deaths, she left college and moved to New York City for a change of scenery, and honestly, she couldn't have afforded to finish anyway.

Between the emotional distress and financial difficulty, it took her quite a while to really get on her feet. She worked several jobs and lived mostly in hostels or other short-term residences. Her life didn't really seem to turn around until she took a job at Jewelhouse several years ago. When Ayame and Kagome found out about her precarious living arrangements, they invited her to move in. The apartment was small and crowded, but it was near work and she appreciated the stability that came with it.

Since moving in with them three years ago, Ayame and Kagome had become family to her. That's why, despite her immense skepticism over their real money-earning ability, Wonder always gave her hope. Singing with her friends the last two years had been the most fun Sango had since she lost her family. Even she had to admit, Wonder's participation in Musings was pretty thrilling!

In the car ride from the airport, the girls' eyes darted all around their surroundings. None of them ever really got to travel, and even if Chicago was a smaller city than their home, they were excited just to break their routine. They were particularly excited to learn that as competitors, they would be staying in a 5-star hotel for the whole summer.

As they entered the lobby, they chatted excitedly as they gaped at the scenery. The lobby's large crystal chandelier alone cost more than any of them made in a year. The girls' wonderment garnered a lot of attention from veteran competitors, and they paused in the middle of the room, unsure where to go. Their confusion was not unnoticed, and they were quickly directed toward their rooms by a Musings staffer.

* * *

As he and his bandmates were waiting to check in to the hotel, something caught Miroku's attention. Three beautiful women had just walked into the hotel and were walking slowly through the lobby, seemingly in awe of the opulent decor. Each was individually stunning, but together they looked like goddesses floating through the lobby.

One had raven black hair with large, round brown eyes and an astonishing smile. The taller one to her left fiery red pigtails, bright emerald eyes, and a sultry smile. But it was the third girl who really caught his attention. She was more timid looking than the other two, but no less gorgeous. She had beautiful brown eyes lined with a pink eye shadow that matched her rosy lips. Her matching dark mahogany hair cascaded beautifully from her ponytail, and her pink and black active wear ensemble fully displayed each of his favorite feminine assets. He was immediately spellbound by her beauty and physique.

His eyes followed them through the room, and he didn't really realize that he was staring so intently at them.

"Hey Miroku, what are you staring at?" Koga questioned from beside him, and Miroku motioned toward the goddesses in the center of the room.

Koga's eyes widened at the sight of them. He broke into a wolfish grin as his eyes took in the foxy redhead chatting with her wide-eyed friend. "Well damn, I didn't think the groupies here would be so enticing."

Inuyasha walked over, check-in packets in hand, "Hey! We didn't come here to drool over women!" He shoved a packet at each of them, demanding their attention.

"Fine, fine." Miroku relented, taking the papers from Inuyasha without changing his line of sight. "When is orientation?"

"Tomorrow afternoon. And don't think you can stay up chasing after those women though, we need to rehearse in the morning." Inuyasha demanded. He always found Miroku's womanizing to be annoying. Of course, he sometimes enjoyed the female attention himself, but Miroku's obsession with skirt chasing never failed to get in the way of their rehearsal schedule.

"Inuyasha, when have I ever put a woman before the band?" Miroku questioned, feigning offense. Inuyasha sighed annoyedly at the question. Sure, Miroku never prioritized his women over Midnight Vandals, but he was known for becoming distracted when beautiful women were involved. "Can you just be normal for one night and not take some stranger back to the room?"

Miroku pouted, "But Yash, just look at the women here. You're asking Peyton Manning to sit out of the Super Bowl." Inuyasha and Koga guffawed in response.

"I'm with Inuyasha on this one dude." Koga interjected. "We need to focus, we may actually win this year. Plus, I don't want to listen to some chick moaning all night while I'm trying to sleep."

Miroku sighed dejectedly. This was a fight he wasn't going to win, and quite frankly, his bandmates were right. He needed to focus now. Midnight Vandals had ranked third during the previous year, and as returning finalists, they had a real chance at winning this year. He had to keep his libido at least somewhat in check if they were actually going to realize that goal.

Still, he focused his attention back on the beautiful women who were now moving in the direction of the rooms, and his eyes didn't leave the trio until they had exited the check-in lobby. Even if it wasn't tonight, he was going to find those women again.

"Oh yes," he thought as his mind entered the gutter, "I am definitely going to enjoy Chicago."

* * *

The next day, everyone crowded into a large ball room for orientation.

"Alright everybody! Welcome to Musings!" A very chipper woman took the stage, and Sango cringed a bit. With the exception of Kagome, Sango wasn't very fond of bubbly personalities, and she was far too sober to deal with one now.

"I hope you're all ready to get started!" the woman continued. "Since we're all still settling in, this week is going to be pretty laid back, but next week will be intense. We want all of you to be prepared and understand exactly what is expected of you."

Sango, Kagome, and Ayame paid apt attention to the details the woman was giving out. None of them wanted to miss a word she said, because as novices, they had no idea how the competition was actually structured. They listened intently as Sango scribbled notes about the rules, schedule, and thereabouts.

"Now, this week is just an intro week. You'll have free time after today's orientation, and we will kick off the three-night Intro Showcase tomorrow night. You can find your showcase time slots in your welcome packets. After the Intro Showcase, we will have a welcome party for all of you to get to know each other and relax after a long week of travel. Be sure to make connections at the party! They may come in handy during collaboration weeks!"

* * *

Miroku struggled to focus as the woman continued to rattle off information about the schedule and the importance of timeliness during performances. They'd been through this before, and it seemed that the rules had not changed a bit since the previous year. Honestly, why did returning groups still have to do orientation anyway?

He was bored out of his mind, and his thoughts wandered back to the women in the lobby yesterday. He couldn't get them out of his head, and he desperately hoped they'd come to the Intro Showcase. He had no idea which band they were with, but with his characteristic charm, Miroku was sure he could pry one of them away from whoever they came here with. He thought back to the enticing ponytailed girl and her even more enticing figure. He could certainly stand another glimpse of that perfect derriere!

Just then, Koga elbowed him. "Pay attention, would ya?" he hissed from his seat next to Miroku. "Why should I? "It's not like the rules have changed at all. I just need to know when our time slot is, and then I'm all set." Miroku seethed back, annoyed at his friend's aggressive outburst.

Koga sighed annoyedly as he flipped through the welcome packet. He understood Miroku's attitude- orientation was very annoying to returning competitors, and he personally could not wait to get out of there and look for the saucy redhead he'd seen in the lobby or her doe eyed friend. Either would do for him.

"Looks like we're on the last day. Second to last."

"Great!" Miroku grinned. It seems they'd planned for last year's runners-up to play the closing time slots, and he could make a great impression on whoever those girls were. He'd find one and invite her to the after-party as his date. The party was actually performers only, but he was sure he could get a guest in with him. And Miroku was sure that if he could get that groupie access to an invite only party, he'd definitely be able to score with her later that night.

* * *

After an hour or so, the orientation wrapped up, and the groups were given free time. The girls decided they'd like to really dig into rehearsals for the next couple of days, since they were performing in two days and really had no idea what they were up against. Plus, they never really got to have long rehearsals when they were at home, and Ayame wanted to take full advantage of the extra time by redoing all of their choreography.

As soon as they'd arrived in their rooms yesterday, Ayame had decided that they needed to "up their dance game" if they were really going to make an impression here.

Sango wasn't particularly fond of changing all of their routines just days before the intro performance, but Ayame really wouldn't take no for an answer. "We really need to make an impression here! Our routines are the best way to do that!"

Sango rolled her eyes and countered, "Yams, I appreciate the idea, but the intro showcase doesn't count toward our rank at all. We shouldn't be killing ourselves in dance rehearsal before the real competition begins. You're just letting Kuranosuke get to you."

Ayame's expression faltered a bit, but that comment piqued Kagome's interest. Even if Sango never admitted to it, Kagome knew he bothered Sango from time to time. "What did he say?" Kagome asked.

Sango sighed a bit. "Kuranosuke and I were having drinks at the bar just before we had to leave, and he said we don't rehearse enough to actually have a chance at winning. He thinks we were lucky to make it." Sango tried to hide the resentment in her voice, but Kagome caught it.

"That's so rude! I can't believe he would say that to you!" Kagome yelled, shocked by the inconsiderate comment from Kuranosuke. She'd always thought he was quite polite, and was very surprised that he'd said such a thing to Sango of all people.

"Honestly, I don't know why you put up with that Sango. If I had a man, he'd never speak to me like that." Ayame added.

"Does he say things like that a lot?" Kagome pryed. Sango was beginning to become uncomfortable under her friends' gaze. She didn't want to admit that he did, in fact, undermine their hard work frequently and offhandedly, with no real consideration for her or her friends. She didn't want to admit that she actually loathed his behavior, but was, at this point, powerless to do anything about it, and she really didn't want to admit that their relationship was a sham and the agreement to date him was how she'd saved them from eviction a few months back.

"Sometimes. I think it's because he doesn't us." She admitted quietly, and her friends furrowed their brows at her. Something odd was definitely going on with the two of them, Kagome thought.

Sango looked back at Ayame, "Look, are we going to dance or what?" She was trying to deflect any further interrogation. If they kept at it, she wouldn't be able to keep up the facade without tipping off her admittedly intuitive friends.

Ayame held her gaze for a moment before speaking. "Sure, let's get to work," Ayame added cooly before walking to the stereo. Sango could tell from the look, though, that this conversation wasn't over. Wonder spent the rest of the evening reworking the dances to their set for Friday night, and even though she was hesitant about changing the routines, Sango had to admit that the new dances would really make a splash at the intro showcase.

* * *

A/N: I know I posted a Chapter 3 earlier, but what I wrote for 3 and 4 were both so short that I decided to combine them. No new music just yet, but they'll be meeting in the next chapter. Stay tuned!


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